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Staff Engineer, Actuated Systems (RX) (R6001)

Shield AI· RaptorX Engineering - Mechanical
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Dallas, TX / Washington, DC$142.9k - $214.3kFull Time EmployeePosted 4w ago

About the role

Staff (L4) Actuated Systems Engineer responsible for mechanical design, layout, and integration of actuation systems for flight control surfaces and airframe mechanisms on a Group 5 UAV fighter aircraft, from concept through release and vehicle integration in an accelerated development environment.

Responsibilities

  • Actuated System Layouts: Develop and mature system layouts and installation concepts for actuators, mechanisms, linkages, brackets, mounting provisions, and associated hardware within vehicle packaging constraints.
  • Mechanical Design Ownership: Own detailed CAD design of actuated systems hardware from concept through drawing release, including load paths, materials, interfaces, GD&T, and tolerance stack-ups.
  • Actuator and Mechanism Integration: Perform actuator sizing, kinematic layout, and installation analysis for flight control surfaces, bay doors, and other airframe mechanisms.
  • Installation Analysis: Perform hand calculations and basic FEA to substantiate brackets, mounts, linkages, and mechanical installation hardware.
  • Vehicle Interfaces: Define and resolve installation interfaces with structures, EWIS, EPS, thermal management, and adjacent systems, including routing, clearances, and maintainability provisions.
  • Design Documentation: Develop and maintain CAD models, drawings, interface definitions, and design data packages to program standards for SRR, PDR, and CDR.
  • Hardware and Supplier Execution: Support component selection, technical specifications, supplier technical execution, prototype assembly, and mechanical test-fixture development.
  • Qualification and Hardware Delivery: Define and execute qualification test plans per MIL-STD-810, using results to mature the design into production-ready hardware and support MIL-HDBK-516 Airworthiness Certification.

Qualifications

  • Clearance required: US Citizens Only & Must have an Active Secret or higher clearance.
  • Experience: 7 to 12 years of mechanical systems design experience in aerospace or a comparable regulated industry, with hands-on experience designing actuated mechanisms or aircraft installations.
  • Education: B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
  • Core Fundamentals: Deep mastery of mechanical design, kinematics, load paths, materials selection, GD&T, and tolerance stack-up methodologies.
  • Analysis and Modeling: Demonstrated capability performing closed-form hand calculations and basic FEA for mechanisms, brackets, mounts, and structural installation components.
  • CAD and PLM: Extensive experience in 3D CAD modeling, mechanical layouts, and drawing release, with Siemens NX, CATIA, Creo, or equivalent PLM workflows.
  • Actuated Systems Integration: Demonstrated ability to develop actuator and mechanism installations that satisfy packaging, load, clearance, maintainability, and vehicle-interface requirements.
  • Hardware and Supplier Execution: Proven track record sourcing COTS/custom aerospace components, driving suppliers to schedule, and assembling benchtop or vehicle-level test setups.
  • Autonomy: Demonstrated ability to self-direct, prioritize technical tasks without oversight, and deliver functional hardware under tight timelines.

Skills

Required:Actuated system layout and installation conceptsMechanical CAD designActuator sizing and kinematic analysisFEA and hand calculationsInterface definition and vehicle integration

Benefits

  • Pay range: $142,880 - $214,320 per year.
  • Bonus + Benefits + Equity (industry-standard).
  • Equal opportunity employer with accommodations available on request.
Last updated Oct 23, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Shield AI

Autonomy for the world.

Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.

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